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Jetstar Price Bait

11 August, 2016

Jetstar has been accused of blatantly misleading customers by advertising cheap airfares that don’t exist.

After clicking on a Jetstar advertisement for $169 flights to Hawaii, one member was unable to find a single flight available at that price. In fact, the lowest airfare our member could find was double the rate initially shown. While Jetstar does offer sale fares to Hawaii from time to time, our members do not believe they have ever been as low as $169. They therefore struggle to believe that this was simply a case of the advertised fares being sold out.

Another member recently noticed a Jetstar ad for $85 flights from Cairns to Tokyo. Similarly, this was not even close to the real price and our member was unable to find any flights at the advertised rate.

Some members believe that Jetstar may be in breach of Australian consumer law, as such advertisements are misleading. They opine that this practice is blatant bait & switch advertising. Although the ads in question contain a disclaimer that the fare shown is “not available all flights or days”, some of the advertised prices do not appear to be available on any flights or days.

The discovery has already prompted a number of members to consider lodging complaints with both the ACCC and the Airline Consumer Advocate.